Several years ago, I rode Amtrak across the country. The view of the Heartland was of endless fields of corn and soy. Each of these crops' appearance was identical and so was their level of maturity. It had Monsanto written all over it. Allowing a greedy, soulless, heartless corporation have that much control over our food supply - and allowing it to poison that food with glyphosate - is agricultural suicide!

Posted by locoadele on 2017-08-11 13:23:27

I'm not a farmer, but from what I've read about the way Monsanto and the other GMO seed companies enforce their patents and intellectual property in the seeds, it is not as simple as just stopping buying Monsanto, Dow, or similar seeds and instead buying from non-GMO or open use seed suppliers. The farmers would have to let the fields lie unplanted for years, or at least planted with a different crop. That would be necessary in order to ensure that there are no volunteer plants remaining from prior crops of GMO seeds. I've read numerous stories from different states about Monsanto and the others having been very aggressive in forcing confiscation of crops that are tainted by even a small quantity of a harvest that is from their patented seeds or in suing the farmers for damages for having the patented seeds, even if the GMO patented plants ended up in the farmer's crops by accident. Basically, Monsanto and the others are counting on a market in which once they've sold patented seeds to a farmer, they own that farmer for quite a few years into the future.

Any actual farmers (not Monsanto or Dow or Bayer or Syngenta employees) who have tried to make a changeover from Monsanto-Dow-Bayer-Syngenta-et al to any other open use seed supplier will be welcomed to correct any misinformation I have. I want to learn more and get as accurate information as possible.

Posted by richardarcher on 2017-08-01 11:47:51

Thank you Austin Frerick for this article about monopoly GMO corn. Are the prices falling due to fact 98% of USDA Big AG Biz conventional poison PETRO chemicals and GMO poison/fake food in USA, are illegal in other countries? USDA/FDA/EPA are at war on 90+% of USA citizens who have demanded loud and clear we want to BAN all GMO everything and all poison PETRO chemicals farms/foods. Regenerative AG transitions of crop and pasture lands to heirloom certified organic.

Comments by Moore Elizabeth suggest farmers can just opt out of corporate patented non open pollinated seeds, and she says there are "alternative sources" for corn seed that can supply Non-GMO, open pollinated varieties of all types of corn. I want to know if it is true such quantities of seeds as used in Iowa (or any other state) where farmers are caught in conventional USDA poison PETRO and GMO farm crops... Are the quantities needed to switch to heirloom organic seeds really available? MONSANTO has been buying up our real heirloom seeds/plants nurseries businesses and hoarding them to own DNA?.. While they engineer more GMO.

The movement of heirloom certified organic farms foods community is expanding education teaching farmers how to farm their own fertile seeds so our heritage heirloom real seeds rise up and reclaim USA AG.

Posted by Meaghan Simpson on 2017-07-30 00:21:10

All the farmers have to do is QUIT buying seed from these corporations altogether. There ARE alternative sources for corn seed that can supply Non-GMO, open-pollinated varieties of all types, from field/dent corn to supersweet. The BEST thing about this is that the farmers can also SAVE THEIR OWN SEED for the next season. Unless they have been stupid enough to sign some sort of contract, they don't HAVE to buy Monsanto garbage. Besides, the customers all over the world are clamoring for cleaner food that has not be genetically tampered with.

Posted by Moore Elizabeth on 2017-07-28 17:00:59

" the service will be overpriced and shoddy because it will leave farmers with no other option.".

If you want to REALLY see shoddy & overpriced with no other options, then by all means let's get the government involved.